A Pictorial Diary of a Golden Retriever Puppy
Allergic Reaction
Hungover?
Nope. Sophie's on a non-alcoholic diet...
Backyard scuffle with the neighborhood bully?
Nope. We don't have any of those where we live...
Sneaky binge eating finally catching up?
Nope. No fat on this sad face...
Turns out that our sweet Sophie woke up with a severe allergic reaction-- (to what, we don't know, but probably a bee, wasp or spider bite...)
I found this poor miserable swollen face when her cries woke me early in the morning..
A quick internet search to see if Benadryl was safe for dogs and if so, what dose was safe for her weight... (It is...)
Ice packs on her huge hot squishy jowls seemed to comfort her until the kids were safely on their way to school... and off to the vet we went. She was diagnosed with acute anyphylaxis. Some IV steroids along with instructions to keep giving Benadryl through the day made her more comfortable.
Believe it or not, she was looking better when I took these pictures! When she woke, she couldn't even open her eyes!
I thought I'd put the pics here, instead of in the slide set, because if anyone is searching for allergic reactions in dogs or what to do, then perhaps this page will pop up. Hopefully the links provided will save some time...
The next day, she looked a lot better--most of her facial swelling had resolved, but she couldn't keep any food or water down. As the day wore on, she became more lethargic and itchy.
An early evening trip to the vet helped with her dehydration--our vet injected some fluids under the skin and he gave her some anti-nausea medication, with orders to have her rest her tummy for the remainder of the evening (no food or water...)
Turns out that her vomiting was residual sensitivity as the reaction worked it's way through her system. It was a tough couple of days for all of us. Sophie was miserable and we were so worried...
In my searching for what to do, I also stumbled on a few other interesting links:
Thankfully, when she woke the third day, she was able to keep her food down, still sluggish, but obviously better. By day four, she was back to her old self!
